The Beginning of The End

[HernandoCortez]

Well I've read most of the moral yadda-yadda people been talking about in the forums about the exploit. This is not the first big exploit that I've seen on DDO and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last. To me, what matters is simple: this could be the beginning of the end for Dungeons and Dragons Online.

I don't know how Turbine will handle this but from what I've seen on G-land (the server the exploiters didn't hurt as much as others so far) there were just TOO MANY people using the exploit. WAY TOO MANY. People have talked about permabans and such but I'm sure Turbine cannot permaban the exploiters. As said on other threads, the game would become a wasteland.

I've read people criticizing Turbine for how they handled this but, trust me, so far they did the right thing, except for the fact they should have closed the gameworlds unless the hotfix was really hard to develop. They can ban people for 3-14 days and stuff but more than that (and banning ALL the exploiters) will be like shooting their own feet with a handgun.

I was around when the Mabar ban-a-pallooza happened, and got banned too even though I didn't do anything. I saw the chest-a-pallooza and saw DOOMERS saying it was DDO's DOOM. But it didn't happen. This time is different though. Information about the exploit has been around for a week or so and it got even worse in the past 3 days.

Well, lets wait and see what Turbine will do. This was the worst and biggest exploit I've ever seen in these 3 or so years I've been playing the game. But this time I believe only Turbine can save DDO by not turning the servers into ghostowns.

This could really be the beginning of the end for DDO.

[Teh_Troll]

This could really be the beginning of the end for DDO.

No it won't. We are no more d000m'd then we were a week ago.

[ZeebaNeighba]

It's funny, someone a couple days ago bumped a 5 year old thread crying doooom over another cloning exploit.

[DrakHar]

I swear I've seen these threads since I began playing in 2008. Like, at least once a month. 2006-2007 the beginning. 2007-2008 the middle. 2008-??? is the end. It's just that the end is apparently like 90% of the lifespan of the game, that's all.

The game is closer to dying now than it was yesterday. But then again, I'm closer to dying now than when I first started typing this post. So are you. And all your family. And friends.

So I guess what I'm saying is you're technically right, but not in any sort of way that actually has any relevance to anything.

[erethizon]

This is not the first big exploit that I've seen on DDO....

I would have to agree, mostly because this exploit is so small that it hardly even registers. A lot of things that were already plentiful in supply are now more plentiful and a few things that were rare but didn't need to be (augments) are now more common. It definitely is not the beginning of the end for DDO because it hardly impacts DDO at all. Now whether it is a continuation of the end for DDO because the beginning started a while ago is something open for debate.

[Sarzor]

The problem isn't the exploit itself (which is nominally a large problem, but let's be honest the only people hurt were those lording being wealthy over others. How does it really hurt you if someone else has a dragonscale robe?) but that once it was learned of, the game wasn't just shut down.

I mean, I'd be ****ed if Saturday/Sunday I didn't play the game because it was down, but the basic story when a major exploit (significant impact, easy-to-use) is found is to 1) fix, 2) stop it. If it was an easy fix, game should have come down immediately, and even if down for a day or two, not the end of the world. If it's a hard fix, post something saying they know of the exploit and are tracking it. I can't imagine it's hard to track.

I've played alot of other games, and all of them there was the confidence that if you did something unacceptable, you were banned. There was also a bug-reporting feature which was taken seriously. If you submitted a major enough bug, you were rewarded. If you exploited it, let's say you weren't. You took pride in the game. It's hard to take pride in DDO when it appears sometimes the company which owns it does not.

[Thordarr]

Ban them all, may be painful this time but will serve as a deterrent to exploits in future.

[erethizon]

They can ban people for 3-14 days and stuff but more than that (and banning ALL the exploiters) will be like shooting their own feet with a handgun.

They have to be careful about handing out bans that are too long because if a person is banned long enough to break the habit of logging into DDO there is a reasonable chance they will never come back. DDO does not have a lot to offer people at the moment other than a temporary fix for their addiction. If you ban someone long enough that they get over their DDO withdrawl they may never return.

[Ashlayna]

It's funny, someone a couple days ago bumped a 5 year old thread crying doooom over another cloning exploit.

Because now, it's their definition of doom, so it must be true. See below, however.

I swear I've seen these threads since I began playing in 2008. Like, at least once a month. 2006-2007 the beginning. 2007-2008 the middle. 2008-??? is the end. It's just that the end is apparently like 90% of the lifespan of the game, that's all.

The game is closer to dying now than it was yesterday. But then again, I'm closer to dying now than when I first started typing this post. So are you. And all your family. And friends.

So I guess what I'm saying is you're technically right, but not in any sort of way that actually has any relevance to anything.

I played Rappelz for about 5 years, and first couple, the lack of updates was what was going to kill it. Then, once we started getting semi regular updates, each one was going to be the "last nail in the coffin". These threads are just about as common as the common cold, and can be triggered by anything at all.

[Teen]

I hope they do serve out justice so I can look at all the Sarlonian's who were duping

Sounds like /popcorn to me.


Though this isnt the beginning of the end..


I'd rather just watch them rollback stuff if they could.

[jalont]

The problem isn't the exploit itself (which is nominally a large problem, but let's be honest the only people hurt were those lording being wealthy over others. How does it really hurt you if someone else has a dragonscale robe?) but that once it was learned of, the game wasn't just shut down.

I mean, I'd be ****ed if Saturday/Sunday I didn't play the game because it was down, but the basic story when a major exploit (significant impact, easy-to-use) is found is to 1) fix, 2) stop it. If it was an easy fix, game should have come down immediately, and even if down for a day or two, not the end of the world. If it's a hard fix, post something saying they know of the exploit and are tracking it. I can't imagine it's hard to track.

I've played alot of other games, and all of them there was the confidence that if you did something unacceptable, you were banned. There was also a bug-reporting feature which was taken seriously. If you submitted a major enough bug, you were rewarded. If you exploited it, let's say you weren't. You took pride in the game. It's hard to take pride in DDO when it appears sometimes the company which owns it does not.

The reason that the game wasn't shut down is that it isn't a big deal. Except for trading collectables for pots, the only thing that could be duped were things that equal to cosmetics. So, someone got that dragonscale they don't actually need. Who cares? It's simply cosmetic.

[IronClan]

No it won't. We are no more d000m'd then we were a week ago.

I agree, no more or less dooOoMm'ed the real problems with this game could use a hot fix as well... bump the old end game raids up in CR and boost the loot, and put that in as a hot fix...

[Chaimberland]

Another doom thread? I wish I had a dollar for everyone posted, I'd be rich!

[Livmo]

No it won't. We are no more d000m'd then we were a week ago.

Drat, I know! I did a pactice Dooom ina nother thread, because I haven't done a Doooom post yet. Drat I was so close on this one too. I'm just over eager as a newb to get my first live Doooom post going.

[GarrMoreno]

Seriously... How many people did the exploit? I doubt it would come to 1000. Even if it were, I don't believe DDO is made from 1100 players to turn it into a ghost town after a righteous mass-ban.

[Zirun]

I played Rappelz for about 5 years, and first couple, the lack of updates was what was going to kill it. Then, once we started getting semi regular updates, each one was going to be the "last nail in the coffin". These threads are just about as common as the common cold, and can be triggered by anything at all.

Speaking of being triggered by anything at all, I remember when arcanes were nothing more than CC and buff bots to help teh ubber meleez get through content easily. And then they redid the costs of spells, and added Echoes of Power, and added more/better damage spells, so arcanes could actually do things in quests, and from level 1 all the way up to the cap! And boy, oh boy, was that a terrible change!

I remember specifically complaints about Echoes of Power, stating that it would completely invalidate melees because casters could just nuke things indefinitely. You know, with their 4 SP every couple seconds up to 12.

*eyeroll* People...

[HernandoCortez]

They have to be careful about handing out bans that are too long because if a person is banned long enough to break the habit of logging into DDO there is a reasonable chance they will never come back. DDO does not have a lot to offer people at the moment other than a temporary fix for their addiction. If you ban someone long enough that they get over their DDO withdrawl they may never return.

My thought exactly, lol.

[Charononus]

Seriously... How many people did the exploit? I doubt it would come to 1000. Even if it were, I don't believe DDO is made from 1100 players to turn it into a ghost town after a righteous mass-ban.

Probably a few hundred per server but with only a few hundred per server online at any one time during the day it could have a serious cascade effect if they were perma banned. On the other hand the moral brigade might quit if they don't. So Turbine is in a no-win situation. Sadly if it wasn't for the asah clouding things with making people feel like they lost real money the moral brigade would be much smaller. There's a reason blizzard is removing it from d3.

[schelsullivan]

I played Doom, it was a great game, buts its kinda dated and most people like DDO better.

[erethizon]

Seriously... How many people did the exploit? I doubt it would come to 1000. Even if it were, I don't believe DDO is made from 1100 players to turn it into a ghost town after a righteous mass-ban.

Corporations are not righteous. They do what is best for the bottom line. The only question they need to ask is will they make more or less money if they ban everyone that was involved. I am guessing banning everyone would lower profits overall so I am guessing they will not do it. On the bright side I neither duped nor purchased anything that could be duped in the past 6 months so I know whatever they do will have no effect on me personally, though if they do ban a bunch of players it could affect my ability to fill up the PUG's I start so I would rather they avoided mass bans.